Plastic bag



Sept. 15, 1970 R. E. WHITE 3,528,600

PLASTIC BAG Filed Nov. 14, 1968 I3 16 V 7/ FIG l V Z a g 2,, F [4 FIG. 2

INVENTOR.

Wen: EMJHWE United States Patent O 3,528,600 PLASTIC BAG Reid E. White, Maumee, Ohio, assignor to Owens- Illinois, Inc., a corporation of Ohio Filed Nov. 14, 1968, Ser. No. 775,826 Int. Cl. B65d 31/14, 33/06 US. Cl. 229-54 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plastic bag having an integral, strengthened gripping portion and fluid exhaust means featuring a discontinuous seal through which fluids can be exhausted from the bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a bag formed from a tubular thermoplastic material which has an integral handholding portion and a fluid exhaust means.

The prior art has included a variety of different types of sealed plastic bags. The use of a discontinuous or maze-type seal in conjunction with fluid escape aperturesis one of the features found in the prior art. In addition, the use of a cut-out portion to form a handholding means in a bag formed of thermoplastic material is also found in the prior art.

Until this invention, the prior art has been void of a bag formed from thermoplastic material which provides both an integral, strengthened handholding means and an internal fluid exhaust means.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a plastic bag formed from thermoplastic material which is adapted to include both an integral gripping portion and an internal fluid exhaust means.

Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following detailed description of the invention and the drawings depicting the preferred embodiments thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the subject invention wherein a bag of thermoplastic material incorporates both an integral, strengthened gripping portion and an internal fluid escape means.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the handgripping portion of an alternate embodiment in accordance with the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With particular reference to FIG. 1 of the drawing, a complete plastic bag is shown in detail. The bag 10 is formed of a thermoplastic material which is capable of being heat sealed. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the upper end of the bag 10 is folded over at 13 and sealed with a discontinuous or maze-type seal 12. Seal 12 extends across the entire width of the bag 10 except where it is discontinuous at positions 14. The folded-over portion 13 of the bag 10 is further sealed to the underlying portion 15 of the bag by means of a continuous heat seal 16 which extends continuously across the entire width of the bag 10. A plurality of finger-receiving holes 18 are cut through the folded-over portion 13 and the underlying portion 15 of the bag 10. These finger-receiving holes 18 are preferably positioned between the maze seal 12 and the continuous seal 16. It is also preferable for good strength characteristics that the continuous seal 16 be positioned so as to be coextensive with the upper gripping surface of the holes 18. The bag 10 can be seen to further include a second continuous heat seal 20 which is applied across the entire width near the bottom of the bag 10 after the bag has been filled.

Patented Sept. 15, 1970 ICC Currently available heat-sealed plastic bags have created a distinct problem in that a large quantity of air is trapped and remains in the bag at the time of its sealing. Thus, the bag cannot be filled to its capacity and the presence of the trapped air makes handling and stacking of the bag quite difficult. To solve this problem, the bag 10 of this invention utilizes the openings 14 in the maze seal 12 and the finger holes 18 as an exhaust path to allow for the escape of internally trapped air. Thus, when such a bag is filled from the bottom, the internal air which formerly would be trapped adjacent to the top seal is now able to escape through the maze seal 12 and the openings 18. This internal air escape path thereby facilitates the complete filling of the plastic bag and eliminates the trapped air pocket associated with previous such plastic bags. It should be noted further that in incorporating the finger-gripping holes 18 and the continuous heat seal 16, the subject bag also provides a rather simple and yet strengthened means of griping and carrying the bag in one hand.

An alternate embodiment which incorporates both a strengthened gripping portion and an internal fluid exhaust means is partially shown in FIG. 2. The bag 22 in FIG. 2 also has a folded-over portion 23 which is attached to the underlying portion 25 by means of a discontinuous or maze-type seal 24. The maze seal 24 is seen to extend across the majority of the width of the bag 22 with the exception of open areas 26 in which places the folded-over portion 23 is not sealed to the underlying portion 25 of the bag. In this embodiment, the presence of the folded-over portion 23 and the maze seal 24 provides a relatively strong top for the bag which can be used as a handgripping portion to lift and transport the bag. This embodiment also provides an internal fluid exhaust means in that internal fluid can pass through the underlying portion 25 in the area of opening 26 in the maze seal 24. The trapped air can then pass through and out of the folded portion in the area formed by opening 26 in the maze seal 24. Thus, the absence of a continuous seal in this alternate embodiment also eliminates the need for additional exit means other than the natural flow path through the underlying and foldedover portions created by the openings 26 in the maze seal 24. Therefore, the FIG. 2 embodiment, like the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, provides a plastic bag which can be filled to capacity without the presence of trapped internal air and the disadvantages associated therewith.

It should be noted that in both embodiments, the folded-over portions provide a very strong four-ply area through which the heat seals are applied. This thereby makes the gripping portion, whether it be the fingerreceiving holes 18 of the FIG. 1 embodiment or the folded-over gripping portion of the FIG. 2 embodiment, quite strong in relation to the non-folded-over two-ply areas in which such heat seals have been utilized in the prior art. Thus, both of these embodiments give superior strength in the gripping portion area of the bag when compared with the prior art bags. In addition, they also provide a unique and effective fluid escape means through which internal fluid trapped during filling of the bag can escape. The plastic bag as set forth in this invention can therefore be filled to its complete capacity and can be handled and stacked for storing much more effectively than the prior art bags due to the absence of internally trapped air.

I claim:

1. A plastic bag having an integral, strengthened gripping portion and fluid exhaust means, said plastic bag comprising a flattened tubular plastic member having a free edge portion thereof folded back into overlying relationship with another portion of the flattened tubular plastic member thereby forming a gripping portion, a discontinuous heat seal extending across the width of said member and partially sealing the folded-back portion to the underlying portion whereby fluid will exhaust from said plastic bag by Way of the unsealed areas of said underlying portion and through the unsealed areas of said folded-back portion.

2. A plastic bag as set forth in claim 1 further including a plurality of finger-receiving holes which are formed through the underlying portion and the f0lded-back portion in the area between the discontinuous seal and the fold connecting said underlying and folded-back portions eluding a continuous heat seal extending across the width of said member and completely sealing the folded-back portion to the u nderlying portion in the area between said finger-receiving holes and the fold connecting said underlying and folded-back portions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS.

2,800,269 7/1957 Smith 229--62.5 3,237,844 3/1966 Hughes 22953 3,339,825 9/1967 Grevich 22962 DAVID M. BOCKENEK, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 229-62.5 

